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Support: The Friday Club (for every show on the tour)
The ‘Mad Not Mad’ tour officially kicks off with seven shows in Ireland, to this day Madness’ most extensive tour of the Emerald Isle. Support band in both Ireland and Britain are The Friday Club, whose Windowshopping single is released on 2-Tone (The label discontinues in 1986 due to financial debts). Despite being discovered by Jerry Dammers, The Friday Club fail to impress because they sound more like Sade than like The Selecter. Suggs refers to an incident that happened to him the previous day: after an interview conducted by DJ Dave Fanning, he took a few drinks at the RTE canteen and collapsed outside the building. Two youths found him and carried him back to the hotel. They’re in the house tonight and so are students of St Andrew’s College who are granted free access by Carl.

A second show is planned, but cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Madness play the remaining show as an eight piece.

October 27th, 28th, 1985: DUBLIN, IRELAND: SFX Centre

Attendance: 2,400 sell-out

The Irish leg of the tour ends with two shows in Dublin. Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp watches the first show and visits the band backstage.

Set second night:
Keep Moving
Samantha
Take It Or Leave It
Michael Caine
Mad Not Mad
Grey Day
My Girl
Tomorrow’s Dream
House of Fun
4BF
Yesterday’s Men
Blue Skinned Beast
Night Boat to Cairo
Time
It Must Be Love
Burning The Boats
Shut Up
Madness
Embarrassment
I’ll Compete
Our House

encore: Uncle Sam
Baggy Trousers

encore: The Sweetest Girl
One Step Beyond

As he did in Cork, Suggs follows a radio interview (for BP Fallon’s programme) with a heavy drinking session and collapses for doing so. On stage he quips that the band are late because Lee had trouble finding the right underpants. Take It Or Leave It is dedicated to everyone who attended the first night, and during Michael Caine the crowd scream when Carl sings “There’s panic and I hear somebody scream” as will often happen in future shows. The same goes for the shouts for One Step Beyond. Meanwhile the band have begun writing new material of which 4BF, a tribute to Brian Ferry, is the first to be premiered. A studio version appears in February 1988 on the 12” format of ‘The Madness’ I Pronounce You single. The crowd sing along to Yesterday’s Men, a breather in the set, It Must Be Love, Shut Up and Madness in which Suggs’ and Carl’s vocals are practically drowned out. Chants for One Step Beyond also dominate the encores. Suggs creates another tradition by saying “I was young myself once, a long time ago” to introduce Baggy Trousers, “It’s hard to imagine now.” Although Melody Maker reacts positively to the show, Chris’ shoulder-locks are ridiculed by the UK press and the band themselves.

October 30th, 1985: BIRMINGHAM, UK: Odeon

“Just come back from a one-off holiday in Ireland,” Suggs tells the enthusiastic crowd. “This is our first day here and this is called Samantha.” The UK debut of 4BF the flying act during Yesterday’s Men and the introduction of Chris as “the oldest man in rock and roll” are all met with positive response. Suggs greets Paul Clewley, a local fan whose artworks for the Shut Up and Wings of A Dove singles led to a career as a graphic designer. The crowd sing along to Uncle Sam, Embarrassment and Our House. Upon the encore, Suggs reacts quasi-surprised to the Chipmunks Are Go chants as if the band haven’t visited Birmingham since 1980. Introducing all musicians Suggs dubs Terry Disley Terence Stamp before Madness close off with a spirited version of One Step Beyond. A string of rave reviews appears in the press while Uncle Sam enters the UK Top 40 at 34 to climb to the No.21 spot while the tour lasts.

October 31st, 1985: CARDIFF, WALES: University

Attendance: 1,500 sell-out

November 1st, 1985: ST AUSTELL, UK: Cornwall Coliseum

Attendance: 3,000 sell-out

November 3rd, 1985: BRISTOL, UK: Colston Hall

Attendance: 1,781 sell-out

November 4th, 1985: LEICESTER, UK: De Monteforte Hall

Set: Same as above, minus Blue Skinned Beast and Baggy Trousers. The Coldest Day opens the second encore.

This show is filmed for a behind-the-scenes documentary, dubbed ‘A Roadie’s Tale’. I’ll Compete and Burning The Boats (soundcheck) and House of Fun, Uncle Sam and Madness are used for the documentary.

November 5th, 1985: NORWICH, UK: University Of East Anglia

As on most shows of the tour, The Friday Club are not appreciated, but the crowd change their tune once they find out about the 2-Tone connection. Madness arrive late, and Suggs apologises for this. In the afternoon he went to London with Carl and Lee to participate in Fashion Aid for the Ethiopian Famine Appeal. The crowd are forgiving and loudly sing along to Keep Moving at the start of a successful night.

November 7th, 1985: MANCHESTER, UK: Apollo

Samantha is dedicated to all namesake girls. Suggs thanks three fans named Deb, Julie and Nick. “Nice to see you all. Did you get my postcards and phone calls?” House of Fun is dedicated to Lee, and Burning The Boats to those who’ve been at the previous Manchester shows on February 22 and 23, 1983. “You’re all still here?” Suggs asks when the band return for the second encore to play One Step Beyond.

November 8th, 1985: LIVERPOOL, UK: University

Lee asks the crowd how long it has been as he wasn’t there when Madness played at the Miners Strike Benefit last year. Woody accidentally starts the intro of Take It Or Leave It before Samantha instead of after. “I didn’t know that you would all make it” Suggs says. “They’re all here. This is called Mad Not Mad.” Witnessing how fans get squashed at the front, Suggs reminds them of the water distribution. “This is called 4BF and this is called H2-0.” As is the case on the rest of the tour, he quips that he considered to do Burning The Boats on his own. The impatience regarding One Step Beyond doesn’t bypass Liverpool, and upon the encore Suggs asks them if they “know that song that Carl will sing? I’ll give you a clue.” The Sweetest Girl well-participated versions of Madness and Baggy Trousers.

November 9th, 1985: SOUTHAMPTON, UK: Gaumont

November 10th, 1985: CRAWLEY, UK: Leisure Centre

November 12th, 1985: ABERDEEN, UK: Capitol

November 13th, 1985: GLASGOW, UK: Barrowlands

Attendance: 1,900 sell-out

Carl picks up a balloon and reads the “TO LEE, LOVE CHERYL” caption before passing it on. Lee throws the balloon at a lucky finder in the audience. The show is recorded for broadcast on local radio and rediscovered in 2003 alongside other footage of Glasgow concerts. These recordings are licenced by River Records for possible CD release.

November 14th, 1985: EDINBURGH, UK: Playhouse

Attendance: 5,000 sell-out

November 17th, 1985: SHEFFIELD, UK: University

November 18th, 1985: NEWCASTLE, UK: City Hall

November 19th, 1985: LEEDS, UK: University

Attendance: 1,500 sell-out

November 20th, 1985: GLOUCESTER, UK: Leisure Centre

November 21st, 1985: CANTERBURY, UK: Kent University

Madness return to Canterbury after they played here on December 14, 1979.

November 22nd, 1985: LONDON, UK: Hippodrome

Madness tape a playback version of Uncle Sam for ‘Children In Need’, the annual BBC telethon in aid of disadvantaged children in Britain.

November 23rd, 24th, 1985: LONDON, UK: Hammersmith Odeon

It’s the first time since December 1980 that Madness play at the Hammersmith Odeon, and collectively it’s also the last time. Both shows are recorded for radio broadcast and (like the remaining shows of the year), a possible live album. Keep Moving, Samantha, It Must Be Love and Our House end up on the two radio edits. Michael Caine, Mad Not Mad, Yesterday’s Men, Burning The Boats (dedicated to Suggs’ friends: “I know you’re here, the both of you”) and I’ll Compete (dedicated to Scarlett, Anne, Debbie and Tuesday among others) appear on the ‘MIS Live’ cassette. Samantha is also used for the MIS-only flexidisc ‘Live From The Mad Not Mad Tour’.

Set second night:
Keep Moving
Samantha
Take It Or Leave It
Michael Caine
Mad Not Mad
Grey Day
My Girl
Tomorrow’s Dream
House of Fun
4BF
Yesterday’s Men
Blue Skinned Beast
Night Boat to Cairo
Time
It Must Be Love
Burning The Boats
Shut Up
Uncle Sam
Embarrassment
I’ll Compete
Our House

encore: Baggy Trousers
Listen To Your Father

encore: Madness
One Step Beyond

“This is the last concert of a very long tour” Suggs tells the crowd. How nice it is to see you all again after all this time. You don’t look a day older.” The crowd express their desire to hear One Step Beyond by humming it, hoping that their request will be fulfilled immediately. Carl quips that Chris has his birthday today (three and a half months after he turned 29) and tells them to sing Happy Birthday. A new tradition is born when Lee is introduced as a resident of America (“All the way from Texas, USA”) for Night Boat to Cairo. Lee demands absolute silence for the foghorn style intro, but the ever participating crowd do precisely the opposite. Upon the encore Suggs has a go at Chris’ oft-ridiculed shoulder locks, claiming that “he stopped getting it cut until Bill Haley’s Comet comes back again (It will be cut in January 1986)”. After Baggy Trousers comes the absolute highlight of the evening: Feargal Sharkey (introduced as Mr Teenage Kicks, referring to The Undertones’ punk anthem) comes onstage to take the vocals for Listen to Your Father. It remains the only occasion that it is performed live. During a stretched-out intro of Madness Suggs says thanks to everyone “who helped us making this tour a fantastic disaster”. From the second night a royal 17 tracks are used for the BBC radio edits. Excluded are Samantha, Blue Skinned Beast, Burning The Boats, Madness and One Step Beyond. Mad Not Mad appears on ‘Live from The Mad Not Mad Tour’. Some positive reviews appear in the UK music press.